Device for manufacturing copies



April 20, 1965 w. LIMBERGE 3,179,033

DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING COPIES Filed Dec. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F754 F I61 44 //VVENTOR Walter Limberger BY q- AGENT April 20, 1965 w. LIMBERGER 3,179,033

DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING COPIES Filed Dec. 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //v vavrop WaLter Limberger AGENT United States Patent 3,179,033 DEVICE FOR MANUFACTURING COME? W alter Limberger, Hamburg-Poppenbuttel, Germany, asslgnor to Lurnoprlnt Zindler K.G., Hamburg, Germany Filed Dec. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 245,968 Claims priority, application Germany, lFeh. 14, 1962, L 41,209 13 Claims. (Cl. 95-89) The present invention relates to a device for manufacturing copies where at least one tank adapted to receive a processing liquid, in particular developing and fixing liquid, and a storage container for this liquid are interconnected by a conduit, a motor-driven pump being provided for replenishing the amount of liquid in the tank.

In conventional devices or" this type, the pump has been rigidly mounted within the storage container. It has also been proposed to construct the pump with enough internal clearance to facilitate reverse flow, so that the tank can empty itself through the pump, when the pump is stopped. Such types of construction disclosed for example in my copending application Ser. No. 275,991, need a good liquid-tight construction with the allowance for the fact that the chemical processing liquid is extraordinarily active as compared with other fluids. The pumps provided in such earlier systems are therefore relatively expensive. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide a permanent storage container in which the pump can be installed. This is considered a drawback, because the storage container must be cleaned periodically in order to avoid sediment formation. This type of cleaning operation is furthermore disadvantageous because the chemical processing liquid is so active that special protective clothing must be provided for the operator, particularly with office machines.

The device of my prior system, moreover, Works with an overliow so that the processing liquid is circulated continually. Consequently, air is introduced into the processing liquid, which leads to oxidation.

A rigidly constructed pump also has the disadvantage that its inherent oscillations become transmitted to the housing on which the pump is mounted. Consequently this produces certain vibrations and also increased noise.

My present invention has the object of providing a device which avoids the disadvantages of prior devices.

A further object of the invention is to provide a suspension tor the pump which facilitates its easy insertion into a storage container and insures good cooling for the pump.

Yet another object of the nvention is to provide a device in which the pump simultaneously produces a stir ring action in the chemical processing liquid.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement in which any storage container can be used and the pump can be made ready for insertion into the apparatus without necessitating a transfer of the processing liquid from a pre-existing storage container.

According to a. feature of the invention the pump is suspended Within a liquid-tight but flexible, preferably plastic sheath or casing in the storage container and at least the pump intake, preferably also its high pressure discharge port is passed through an opening likewise provided in the casing.

According to a preferred embodiment, the high pressure line of the pump leads out through the upper side of the casing toward the storage container via a hose connection.

It is also a feature of the invention that the treatment liquid serves on the one hand as noise insulation and an oscillation damper for the pump and on the other hand ICC as a heat exchanger by which the pump and pump motor can be cooled, with simultaneous heating of the liquid. Consequently it is important that the pump together with its drive means be surrounded on all sides by the liquid.

Thus, my present invention provides a flexible insulator for the pump, which simultaneously takes care of sealing during normal use of the pump and, as a consequence of its flexibility, perfectly absorbs the oscillations (owing to the above-mentioned all-round enclosure of the pump by the liquid), and practically completely suppresses the pumping noise. In this connection it may be mentioned that an incompletely balanced pump can be used to special advantage, because the movements produced thereby as a consequence of its suspension are translated into a rotary stirring movement with continuing agitation of the processing liquid in the storage container. There is also the advantage that the heat of the pump and of its driving motor improves the manufacture of copies by stabilizing the temperature of the processing liquid.

An important advantage of the invention is that storage containers can be used which do not form a fixed part of the copying apparatus, is. which can be interchanged at will Without requiring special mounting devices for the pump on the apparatus or Working table. The device of the present invention facilitates the use of greater storage containers which, after exhaustion of their copious supply of processing liquid, are interchangeable with a filled storage container by a regular customer service involving the special mounting operations even though the pump and its drive motor are mounted inside the storage container. This provides an essential improvement over prior oilice copying devices, since the operator is entirely removed from contact with the processing liquid and no expert help is needed for replenishing the liquid supply. For example, since it is usual at certain intervals to replenish the supply of copy paper, a messenger in charge of the paper can simultaneously exchange the old storage container of developing liquid for a new one without specialized knowledge. Thus, the invention improves the commercial economies of the wet method in comparison with known dry processes such as the silver-salt-diffusion method has the advantage inherent in this method for producing deep black copies on a white background on a durable material and independent of the type of original.

The casing forming part of a device according to my invention may have the shape of a bag whose mouth is provided with an annular bead receiving a resilient stif fening element therein, this head being supportable on the rim of an opening provided in the cover of the storage container.

In another embodiment a clamping member is supported on the rim of the storage container opening and resilient clamping elements are provided for engaging the casing while enabling passage therethrough of the conduit for the treatment liquid.

It is particularly advantageous to use a tubular casing wherein the pump intake and discharge connections are mounted on the pump and motor unit on opposite end faces. In this case the tubular casing is fixed in sealing relationship on the cylindrical pump housing adjacent the downwardly directed pump intake by a clamp or the like, the pump being so suspended that its intake opens directly above the base of the storage container.

According to a further feature of my invention, the

mouth of the a bag-like casing may have a passageway provided with a nipple receiving the pump intake in tightly sealing relationship. The bag-like casing may also have two'passageways each provided with a nipple so that the pump outlet as well as the pump intake can be connected thereto in sealing relationship.

The device according to my invention may be operated by a push-button control for switching on the pump and may include a check valve in the hose connection between the pump and the processing tank terminating above the base of the storage container. According to a preferred embodiment which works with a float control for switching on the pump, a lever is pivotably mounted on the housing of the processing tank, this lever being supported above the tank on a float and has carrying at a location remote from its fulcrum, an actuating element for a push button control for switching the pump on and DE.

The check valve mentioned above works as a throttle for the return flow, since it opens easily in response to the pumping pressure upon a feeding of liquid into the processing tank, but closes relatively slowly under suction or siphoning condition. This is of particular value in a preferred circuit arrangement wherein energizing circuit for the apparatus and the pump is closed by a common switch, because then the processing tank is filled at a rate determined by the float position and only an extremely slow, strongly throttled return flow occurs and lasts only for a limited time, i.e. up to complete closure of the check valve. Consequently reverse pumping of the liquid is avoided. It is, however, also possible to design this check valve so that a throttled discharge path remains open, so that upon deactivation of the apparatus a complete emptying of the processing bath is possible without vortex formation.

Further advantages and features of my invention will be described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial view in section of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an electric circuit arrangement for the arrangement of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial view of a second embodiment of the invention, partly in section, showing the storage container and part of the processing tank;

FIGS. 4 and 4a are a front and side view of a baglike casing according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a clamping member for mounting the casing on the mouth of the storage container; and

FIG. 6 is a partial enlarged section through a hose connection in the storage container.

As shown in section in FIG. 1, an apparatus 2 for making copies is mounted on a working table 1 (partly shown). The apparatus includes a processing tank 3 having walls 4. Guide elements 5 submerged below the liquid level extend therethrough from an inlet side, at least one of these guide elements leading to a pair of squeezing and transport rollers (not shown) in front of a discharge slot. A guide path towards an exposure device can be provided but is not shown any further. Intermediate this exposure device and the guide path means are provided for removing the original and likewise for introducing a copy sheet.

The processing tank 3 is mounted in a housing 6 which also contains the exposure device. This housing 6 is preferably open above the processing tank and provided with a lever 7 having a lug 8 which can be securely suspended in an opening 9 in one side wall 10 of housing 6, and can pivot with the opening 9 as the fulcrum. For this purpose the lug 8 has at least one groove or slot on its upper face engaged by the upper edge of the opening 9. Lever 7 is supported with its lower face resting on a float 11, which floats on the processing liquid. If no processing liquid is present in container 3, then the float 11 sinks onto the upper guide element 5. Beneath or adjacent table 1 a relatively larger storage container 12 is provided for the processing liquid 1 All This storage container 12 has a neck 14 with outer screw threads, onto which a cover 15 can be screwed. One kind of cover is completely closed and is used when transporting the container 12, in order that it may be completely sealed. This cover is interchangeable with the illustrated cover 15 having a central opening 16, through which a casing 17 is arranged to pass. This casing 17 is suspended in the restricted opening 16, e.g. in a manner shown more clearly in FIG. 3. It is, however, also possible to use an upwardly open storage container, in which the casing 17 is suspended by means of a frame according to FIG. 5.

Storage container 12 and processing tank 4 are connected together by an at least partially flexible hose 13, which is inserted in the processing tank 4 from above and terminates in an outlet 19 near the bottom of the processing tank 3. The other end of the hose 18 is connected to the discharge port 20 of a pump 21, which here is shown flanged to a drive motor 22. The pump intake 23 opens into the storage container 12 in the lower half thereof.

The motor-and pump-unit 22, 21 is mounted in the casing 17, which is designed as a bag-shaped sheath (see also FIGS. 4 and 4a) having an opening 24 in its lower region with a nipple 25 connected thereto and through which the pump intake 23 passes. Nipple 25 of casing 17 may be rigidly and sealingly secured to the pump intake 23 by means of a clamp. If the bag 17 is made of resilient plastic material, its nipple 25 will conform elastically to the intake tube 23 to form a seal. Casing 17 is of such length that its upper end passes through opening 16 in cover 15 above the storage container 12 without clamping the hose 18.

As mentioned above, a casing can also be provided, which has two connections each corresponding to the nipple 25, the additional connection serving to receive the discharge port of the pump in sealed relationship. In this case, hose 18 passes outside casing 17 through the storage container 12 and beyond the latter. The electrical cable 62 for motor 22 also passes through the casing 17 out of the storage container 12. This cable leads to a switch 26, which is mounted on housing 6 on the side remote from the lug 8 anchored in opening 9. On this side the lever 7 has an overhanging arm 27, which coacts with switch 26 so that the latter is turned on upon a sinking of float 11 and is turned off upon lifting of float 11 over a pre-determined distance. Switch 26 is therefore a simple so-called microswitch. This embodiment has the advantage that upon the occurrence of two low a liquid level in the processing tank 3 the switch 26 is closed and the motor 22 is started up as a consequence, so that the pump 21 feeds liquid into processing tank 3, until a predetermined liquid level therein is reached whereupon the float 11 reopens switch 26 and shuts off pump 21.

A suitable circuit arrangement for this action is shown in FIG. 2, by way of example. Leads 30, 31 extend from the power supply 28 to a housing port 29 containing at least the drive motor for the pair of squeezing and transport rollers and preferably also the exposure unit. An on-ofi switch 32 is provided in lead 31. A circuit 33 for the pump motor 22 branches off from lead 31 behind switch 32 as seen from power supply 28. The on-off switch 26 is inserted in this circuit 33 and is controlled by float II, which is shown only schematically together with processing tank 3 in FIG. 2. It can be seen from this that upon closing of switch 32 the tank 3 becomes filled to its correct level automatically, the proper liquid level being maintained by a check valve 34 described below, without the need for switching on the pump as often as with known arrangements.

In FIG. 1 the check valve 34 is disposed in the lower end of outlet 19, this valve being described below with reference to FIG. 6. The purpose of this valve is to avoid the automatic emptying of the tank 3 by a siphoning effect of the hose 18, or at least to minimize this effect.

It can be seen that the flexible casing 17 provides a very economical seal for the motor-pump unit 22, 21 against the liquid, the flexibility on the one hand of the casing 17 and on the other hand of the hose 18 and the connection 25 affording limited mobility of the motorpump-unit 21, 22 within the liquid.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment differing from that of FIG. 1 in certain details. The storage container 12, the supply of processing liquid 13, the container lid 15, the hose 18 and the processing tank 3 are substantially the same as in FIG. 1. Casing 17 is formed as a tubular sheath, however. The motor-pump unit is mounted in a substantially cylindrical housing 35 having an intermediate circumferential rib 36 enveloped by the lower end of the freely suspended sheath 17'. The pump intake 37 projects from one end of the motor-pump-housing 35 and the high pressure port 38 of the pump is provided on the opposite end face. It can be seen that the tubular casing 17' is pulled down close to the lower end of housing 35 provided with the pump intake 37 and is rigidly fixed to it by means of the circumferential rib 36 and an expansible clamp 39 representative of any suitable liquidtight sealing means. The upper end of the tubular casing 17 has a rim provided with an outwardly turned bead 40 in which a resilient clip 41 of rigid plastic material or metal is embedded. The outer circumference of the bead is greater than the opening 16 in cover 15, so that the casing 17 with its motor-pump unit 35 can be easily suspended in the opening 16. Thus the resiliency of casing 17 and also of clip 41 ensures good seating of the outer circumference of the casing around the rim of opening 16, so that the liquid in the container is protected from oxidation and the mouth 42 of the casing 17 remains open for ventilating the motor of unit 35. The discharge nipple 18 and the electrical cable 62 pass through this open mouth 42.

The tubular casing 17' may be made of a resilient plastic material resistant to the processing liquid 13. It is of particular advantage that an impeller or planet wheel 1101 with an eccentric mass 102 thereon is mounted in the motor of the liquid-delivery unit, the motor being provided with vertical shaft 103, this mass ensuring that the motor-pump unit resiliently suspended in the casing executes an oscillatory movement with the central axis of the casing gyrating along a conical path which is shown by the dotted lines 43, 44. This imbalance is preferably related to the desired speed of revolution of the pump in the unit 35.

FIG. shows a holder suitable for mounting a tubular sheath in an opening in the storage container. The holder here shown has a generally rectangular frame made of longitudinal struts 45, 46 which are connected by transverse stays 47, 48. The longitudinal struts 45, 46 have downwardly directed, hook-like extremities 49, 59 which prevent the sliding of the frame off the rim of the container. In the middle of the frame spanning the container mouth, a pair of spring clamps 51, 52 are mounted on the longitudinal struts 45, 46 so as to lie resiliently adjacent one another near their ends while being centrally arched at 53, 54 toward the longitudinal struts 45, 46. In between the arched portions 53, 54 a clearance is provided through which the conduit 18 can pass unobstructedly, i;e., without pinching. The neck of casing 17 and if necessary the electrical cable 62 pass through resiliently adjoining sections of the spring clamps 51, 52, so that opposite portions of the upper end of the casing 17 are gripped between them at a selected height. The arrangement according to FIG. 5 enables use of any bag-like casing with a bottom passage for the pump intake, the selective clamping of the upper end of the casing between the resilient elements 51, 52 establishing the correct depth of suspension of the motor pump unit at its lower end.

FIG. 6 shows the lower end of outlet 19 and illustrates a particularly simple construction of thecheck valve 34. This valve has a valve disk 55 fastened to a valve stem'56 and lying adjacent the lower edge of the outlet. Stem 56 projects into outlet 19 and through a guide opening 57 in a perforated partition 58 which spans the interior of tube 19 and facilitates the passage of the liquid therethrough; The valve stem 56 is provided on opposite sides of partition 58 with abutments 59, 60 which cannot pass through opening 57. According to the flow direction of the liquid in the outlet 19, the valve disk 55 abuts the mouth of this outlet in sealing relationship or is spaced therefrom. This minimizes the number of starts of the pump by the float since the treatment liquid will be barred from returning to reservoir 12 via conduit 18 upon stoppage of the pump. It will be understood, however, that the position of abutment 60 determines whether the valve disk 55 closes completely or leaves the return flow partly open to allow for a slow draining of the bath in vessel 4 as noted above. It is, moreover, also possible to provide the valve 34 with manual control means in order to hold it open for emptying the processing tank.

It can be seen that the pump of my improved apparatus need not be primed since the liquid in the conduit 18, as shown in FIG. 3 at 61, rises to the level of the liqiud in the storage container 12. This also results in an improved supply of processing liquid because scum and bubble formation is avoided even with intermittent use of the pump.

I claim:

1. In copying apparatus comprising a processing tank for a treatment liquid, a reservoir for said liquid and conduit means leading from said reservoir to said tank, the combination therewith of a liquid-delivery unit including pump means and a drive motor therefor disposed in said reservoir below the liquid level, said reservoir having an opening at its top, casing means in said reservoir forming a liquid-tight envelope around said unit, said casing means including a flexible sheath depending from said opening and extending around at least a major part of said unit, said pump means being provided with an intake nipple passing outwardly through said casing means near the bottom of said reservoir and being further provided with a discharge port, said conduit means including a flexible hose rising from said discharge port through said opening, and an energizing circuit for said motor including cable means extending through said opening to said unit.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said sheath has the shape of a bag closed at its bottom.

3. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said sheath has the shape of a tube open at its bottom, said casing means further including a rigid housing for said pump means and drive motor, said housing having substantially the shape of an upright cylinder and being enveloped by the lower end of said tube.

4. The combination defined in claim 1 wherein said energizing circuit includes an on-olf switch for said motor, further comprising float means in said tank operable to close said switch upon the dropping of the liquid therein below a predetermined level.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein said hose is provided with an outlet which opens in said tank near the bottom thereof, said reservoir being disposed below the level of said tank, further comprising a check valve in said outlet responsive to the direction of liquid fiow therethrough for at least throttling the return of treatment liquid from said tank to said reservoir by way of said hose upon cessation of pumping pressure.

6. In copying apparatus comprising a processing tank for a treatment liquid, a reservoir for said liquid and conduit means leading from said reservoir to said tank, the combination therewith of a liquid-delivery unit including pump means and a drive motor therefor disposed in said reservoir below the liquid level, said reservoir having an opening at its top, casing means in said reservoir forming a liquid-tight envelope around said unit, said casing means including a flexible sheath depending from said opening and extending around at least a major part of said unit, said pump means being provided with an intake nipple passing outwardly through said casing means near the bottom of said reservoir and being further provided with a discharge port, said conduit means including a flexible hose rising Within said sheath from said discharge port through said opening, and an energizing circuit for said motor including cable means extending within said sheath through said opening to said unit.

7. The combination defined in claim 6, further comprising fastening means releasably securing said sheath to said opening, the latter being so dimensioned as to enable upward withdrawal therethrougn of said casing means and said unit from said reservoir.

8. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein said fastening means comprises a holder spanning said opening, said holder being provided with clamping means resiliently gripping opposite portions of the top of said sheath while leaving a clearance therebetween for the unobstructed passage of said hose.

9. In copying apparatus comprising a processing tank for a treatment liquid, a reservoir for said liquid and conduit means leading from said reservoir to said tank, the combination therewith of a liquid-delivery unit including pump means and a drive motor therefor disposed in said reservoir below the liquid level, said reservoir being a rigid container with a reduced opening at its top, casing means in said reservoir forming a liquid-tight envelope around said unit, said casing means including a flexible sheath depending freely from said opening and extending around at least a major part of said unit as the sole support therefor linking said unit with said container, said pump means being provided with an intake nipple passing outwardly through said casing means near the bottom of said reservoir and being further provided with a discharge port, said conduit means including a flexible hose rising from said discharge port through said opening, and an energizing circuit for said motor including cable means extending through said opening to said unit.

10. The combination defined in claim 9 wherein said motor is provided with an eccentrically loaded vertical shaft for imparting transverse gyrations to said sheath during operation of said pump means, thereby agitating the liquid in said reservoir.

11. In copying apparatus comprising a processing tank for a treatment liquid, a reservoir for said liquid and conduit means leading from said reservoir to said tank, the combination therewith of a liquid-delivery unit including pump means and a drive motor therefor disposed in said reservoir below the liquid level, said reservoir being a rigid container with a reduced opening at its top, casing means in said reservoir forming a liquid-tight envelope around said unit, said casing means including a flexible sheath depending freely from said opening and extending around at least a major part of said unit as the sole support therefor linking said unit with said container, said pump means being provided with an intake nipple passing outwardly through said casing means near the bottom of said reservoir and being further provided with a discharge port, said conduit means including a flexible hose rising within said sheath from said discharge port through said opening, and an energizing circuit for said motor including cable means extending within said sheath through said opening to said unit.

12. The combination defined in claim 11 wherein said container has a neck and a lid detachably engaging said neck, said opening being formed in said lid for enabling removal of said casing means and said unit from said container together with said lid upon detachment of the latter from said neck.

13. The combination defined in claim 12 wherein said sheath is formed at its top with an outwardly turned annular bead overlying said lid, said bead having a reinforcing ring imbedded therein.

References liter by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,792,513 2/31 Soreny 222-173 2,159,656 5/39 Focht 222-205 X 2,524,645 10/50 Abbott 222-333 X 2,791,964 5/57 Reeve 222-333 X 2,792,158 5/57 Veitch et al. 222-333 2,831,610 4/58 Dennie 222-107 X 2,939,598 6/60 Donleavy 222-107 X 2,986,308 5/61 Pacey et al. 222-333 3,007,608 11/61 Cox 222-107 X 3,081,915 3/63 Patterson et a1. 222-333 EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COPYING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PROCESSING TANK FOR A TREATMENT LIQUID, A RESERVOIR FOR SAID LIQUID AND CONDUIT MEANS LEADING FROM SAID RESERVOIR TO SAID TANK, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF A LIQUID-DELIVERY UNIT INCLUDING PUMP MEANS AND A DRIVE MOTOR THEREFOR DISPOSED IN SAID RESERVOIR BELOW THE LIQUID LEVEL, SAID RESERVOIR HAVING AN OPENING AT ITS TOP, CASING MEANS IN SAID RESERVOIR FORMING A LIQUID-TIGHT ENVELOPE AROUND SAID UNIT, SAID CASING MEANS INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE SHEATH DEPENDING FROM SAID OPENING AND EXTENDING AROUND AT LEAST A MAJOR PART OF SAID UNIT, SAID PUMP MEANS BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INTAKE NIPPLE PASSING OUTWARDLY THROUGH SAID CASING MEANS NEAR THE BOTTOM OF SAID RESERVOIR AND BEING FURTHER PROVIDED WITH A DISCHARGE PORT, SAID CONDUIT MEANS INCLUDING A FLEXIBLE HOSE RISING FROM SAID DISCHARGE PORT THROUGH SAID OPENING, AND AN ENERGIZING CIRCUIT FOR SAID MOTOR INCLUDING CABLE MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENING TO SAID UNIT. 